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Simple Spreadsheet Exercise of Water Balance Simulation

In this computer lab we will estimate net groundwater input to an alpine lake using the water balance
equation. The lab is based on Hood et al. (2006, Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L13405).
The water balance equation of a lake is;
IG OG = V/t Pcp + ET IS + OS

(1)

Lake area (A) is a function of water level (h) in general, but in this simple example we assume
that A is constant at 0.26 km2.
Your data set contains lake water level h (m) with respect to a local bench mark, daily
precipitation P (mm), estimated daily evaporation E (mm), and daily average stream inflow IS (m3
s-1) and outflow OS (m3 s-1). Note that there are four inflow streams, and IS is the total of all four
streams.
(a) For 03/06/2005 (Row 3), calculate the volumetric rate of precipitation Pcp (m3 s-1) falling on
the lake by multiplying P by the lake area:
Pcp = P mm 0.001 m mm-1 (0.26 106 m2) / 86400 s
(2)
In terms of cell formula, Eq. (2) can be written as:
H3 = D3*0.001*C3*1e6/86400
(b) Similarly, calculate the volumetric rate of evaporation ET (m3 s-1) leaving the lake surface by
multiplying E by the lake area:
(3)
ET = E mm 0.001 m mm-1 (0.26 106 m2) / 86400 s
In terms of cell formula, Eq. (3) can be written as:
I3 = E3*0.001*C3*1e6/86400
(c) Calculate the rate of storage change:
V/t = (Change in water level between June 3 and June 4) (0.26 106 m2) / 86400 s
Or in terms of cell formula,
J3 = (B4 B3)*C3*1e6/86400
(d) Calculate the net groundwater flow rate IG OG from Eq. (1) using the cell formula:
K3 = J3 H3 + I3 F3 + G3
(e) Repeat the same calculation up to October 17 (Row 139) by copying the cell formula.
(f) Plot the time series of h on a chart.
(g) Plot the time series of IS and IG OG on a single chart, compare it with the water level chart
f
from
(f).
(f) Discuss
i
the
h seasonall trends
d off these
h
variables.
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